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Amex Explorer Card 50,000 Bonus Gateway MR Points + $400 Travel Credit ($395 p.a. Fee)

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Not as good as the previous deal but the 50,000 Membership Rewards Points (or 80,000 when applying through a referral) is a good bonus.
Note that this card earns 2 MR points per $1 which is the highest earn rate for Amex cards (apart from 3 points per $ for supermarkets on Amex Plat Edge). Also note 0.5 points per dollar with merchants classified as “government".
The points can be transferred to a choice of 8 airline partner programs including Virgin, Singapore Airlines, and Cathay AsiaMiles and also SPG.

Benefits:

  • Receive 50,000 when you apply online, are approved and spend $1,500 on your Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership.
  • $400 Travel Credit every year to use on flights, hotels, experiences or car hire booked online with American Express Travel. You can use this credit to book travel for anyone you choose.
  • Earn up to 2 Membership Rewards points for every $1 spent on eligible purchases.
  • Smartphone Screen Insurance for up to $500 for screen repairs to your Smartphone when you pay for your phone or contract with your card.
  • Travel insurance, buyers advantage, purchase protection, and refund protection.
  • 2 entries per year to the American Express Lounge at Sydney International (Kingsford Smith) Airport T1.
  • 0% p.a. on balance transfers for the first 12 months — A one-off credit plan establishment fee of 1% applies to any balances transferred.

Annual fee of $395 (offset by travel credit)

Card Members who currently hold or who have previously held any other Consumer Credit Card product issued by American Express Australia Limited in the preceding 18 month period are ineligible for this offer. However, many people have obtained the bonus points while holding another card.

Referral link for the 80,000 bonus points (30,000 more points than normal application):
https://www316.americanexpress.com/iFormsSecure/un/iforms.do…

Other links in referral wiki:
https://www.ozbargain.com.au/wiki/american_express_referrals

Referral Links

Business Explorer Card: random (1)

Referrer: 40,000 Reward Points

Centurion Personal Charge Card: random (7)

Referee gets 200,000 MR points. Referrer gets 150,000 MR points.

Related Stores

American Express
American Express

closed Comments

  • +2

    Shopper: Do you take amex?
    Store owner: no.

    • ……PayPal linked yes, plus lots of big stores.
      Or even buy e-gift cards via cash rewards
      I just got my 100,000k which is awesome….I should have signed the wife up at the same time……50,000 not so sexy

      • Wasn't it 110k?

        • I think that was with an additional card, kinda missed that one….

    • Except for basically every big chain store except what, Aldi?

      • +2

        Probably sits in another category, but Costco stoppped accepting them last year too unfortunately. Still, most stores take it and Amex have made a push to bring in smaller outlets too.

    • +1

      Your life is suffering. Good for you.

      • Theres no greater suffering on earth than the refusal of an amex. Glad I dont have one then, good for me :)

        • Good for you coz u always go to low class places.

        • @scratchback: *because, *you. Low class people should really learn how to spell :)

  • -1

    How is this a deal if its a downgrade of previous offer

    • +1

      But agreed this isn't a deal at all. Seems that OP is capitalizing his/her referral link?

    • +1

      80,000 bonus points is still a great deal.

    • +6

      Because… you can't get the previous offer any more?

  • -1

    OP, I don't think you are allowed to post your referral link in the post.

    • -1

      Really I get 3 neg votes for what I think is fact?

    • That's incorrect, you have always been allowed in accordance with the referral guidelines

      Best to hit the 'report' button in the future if you feel something is wrong with the post and/or check the guidelines.

      • +1

        Cheers, thanks got informed by Neil. The rule is spcific to the main url posted.

        "We usually allow one referral link at the end of a deal description, but never as the main deal URL."

  • -5

    yea. you pay 1400$ annual fee, yet here you are trying to get lousy referrals

    • -1

      $400 annual fee is offset by travel credit

    • -1

      Its the best 'free' cc there is in AU, if you travel at least once a year

      • +2

        From hotels I've looked at, they are around $50-75 more expensive per night than through other booking sites. And they don't price match!

        • Book flights

        • Yep, same with flights. Virgin flights I am looking at are 16-20% more expensive than booking through airline.

        • Some of the hotels I was looking at were around $60 cheaper per night than expedia

        • +2

          @osh89g:

          What about hotels.com? So far pretty much every hotel I've looked at has been cheaper through them

          Just picked Melbourne for 4th-5 for some comparisons….

          Adina Apartment Hotel Melbourne
          Hotels.com =$229
          Amex =$286

          The Sebel Melbourne Docklands
          Hotels.com =$188
          AMEX = $205.50

        • -1

          @kev98: hmm about $15 more a night

  • +4

    seems like you're just trying to get referrals. It was 110k points when I got mine. Not a great deal

    Also, this is direct link to wiki list with referrals for this card: https://www.ozbargain.com.au/wiki/american_express_referrals…

  • What's everyone doing with their gateway points? I'm up to 115k but not sure of the best value for money.

    • +1

      Take a look at http://www.pointhacks.com.au/credit-cards/american-express-m….

      I'm probably going to send it to either SQ or CX for a big Asia trip at some point, I think.

    • I'm getting the amex platinum edge soon, to convert gateway to accent.

      • +1

        There are reports that this loophole has been closed, see AFF.

        • :( Yeah reading it now actually. Hoping for the best.

    • +2

      Transfer to SPG at a rate of 1 to 0.5. The transfer rate is the same for all MR programs, so represents especially good value for Explorer Gateway.

  • All of the Amex offers seem to have been updated from feb 1. Probably worth someone fixing the referral wiki and doing a roundup post. I'm at work or i'd do it myself.

  • I am 'Neutral' on this offering, however those with Amex travel credits might like to read this:- http://www.pointhacks.com.au/how-amex-travel-credit-works/
    This is the first time that I have heard that, if you have a Platinum Charge card credit, you can use it on low-cost carriers.

  • +1

    Would advise people to wait this offer out, and see if the 110000 points offer comes back. Gateway points are not as valuable as normal Amex points by the way. No deal.

    • -1

      I agree. Keep your powder dry & don't take a hit on your Credit Score until a better offer comes along.

    • +2

      The risk is that the 110k doesn't come back and when they revise this offer it'll be revised to be a 60k bonus (instead of 80k) =/

      I agree that 80k is still a great offer. The only reason the value of this card with 80k is hard to see is because we got spoilt with them offering 110k just last week and for months before that.

  • "Card Members who currently hold or who have previously held any other Consumer Credit Card product issued by American Express Australia Limited in the preceding 18 month period are ineligible for this offer. However, many people have obtained the bonus points while holding another card."
    When I rang AMEX today they said that Charge Cards are ok, but because I had a Credit Card (Platinum Reserve Credit Card) I would not get the sign-on bonus for the Explorer.
    Reading through previous Explorer offers I cannot find 'first-hand' reports of dual AMEX CREDIT CARDS Holders getting the Explorer sign-on Bonus.

  • Did anyone who had the essential card and cancelled it to apply for this card managed to get the 80k bonus points? I chickened out during the last 110k promo deal when someone reported not getting the bonus.

  • +1

    clicked on the referral link and now it's 100,000 MR points, expiring 15 May 2017. Even better deal now?

    • Yes, it has been increased.

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